Times of
Dynasty IV constitute undoubtedly an age of Egyptian glory. The prosperity is
authenticated by many monumental tombs-pyramids. A founder of this dynasty owned
enough means to build as much as three objects in that style. His successors
created edifices on a breath-taking scale, already in antiquity they were called
the Wonders of the World while many our contemporaries believe they are
creations of alien civilizations. The economic policy of that period was in fact
based on natural resources from mines and quarries as well as on building of
temples and tombs. War and trade campaigns, led previously by pharaoh Snofru,
gradually seem to loose their significance under his successors.

Son
of pharaoh Huni
and queen Maresankh
I. It is difficult to assess the precise length of his rule. The
Turin Canon assigns to him 24 years but some scholars think that, following
the so called 24-fould counting, every 2 year, Snefru
had ruled 48 years at least, at which point also his building activities.
He started an epoch of building of the stone pyramids, he erected three of
them for himself – one at Meidum
(by some ascribed to pharaoh Huni) and two at Dahshur. According to Palermo
Stone records, apart from building and economical activities, he made two
expeditions to Nubia and Libya from where returned with thousands of cattle
and slaves. He organized also oversea expedition to Lebanon for cedar, from
where 40 ships loaded with the wood arrived back to Egypt. Inscriptions of
Wadi Maghara give evidence that the whole Sinai was at that time under
Egyptian rule. In historical records survived opinion of Snofru being a
benevolent and clever ruler. It is believed that between his 12 and 15 year
of rule for political reasons he moved his residence and royal necropolis
north to Dahshur where he ordered to build a pyramid known to us as
Bent
Pyramid. Probably he was buried in the third
pyramid, built of locally gained red sandstone, named the
Red Pyramid. This rule is also attributed a small
pyramid in Seila.

nsw-bi.ti nb.ti mDdNesubiti Nebti Medjed(The King of Upper
And Lower Egypt, The Two
Ladies, The One Who Strikes)

(Golden Horus Name)

bik.wi nbw(.wi)
Bikui-Nebui (The Two
Golden Falcons)

Abydos Table
(Nomen)

xfw
Khufu
(Protected By [Khnum])

Saqqara Table
(Nomen)

xwfw
Khufu
(Protected By [Khnum])

(Nomen
& Prenomen)

XnmwxwfwKhnum Khufu(Protected
By Khnum)

xwfwfKhufuf(Protected
By [Khnum])

Son
of Snofru by queen Hetepheres I, father of Khafre and Djedefre. He was
the builder of the Great Pyramid at
Giza. The Turin Canon records 23 years of rule and Manetho - as many as
63 years. The Palermo Stone mentions only founding of a colossal statue
7 m high and another one statue of gold. Numerous stories passed on by
Herodotus and Westcar papyrus in belletristic manner describe the
times of his rule. The Westcar papyrus, which records coming to the rule
of the dynasty V presents Khufu in rather positive light. Herodotus in
turn describes him as a tyrant harassing the people by forcing them to
build colossal structures. Historical facts concerning that period are
very scant. His family connections are still under discussion. It is
thought that Khufu came to the rule after death of his step-brother,
unknown from name son of Snofru (Kanefer?)
buried in M17 mastaba at Maidum. Traces of Khufu’s rule have been found
at Bubastis, Tanis, Buto and Dendera, Koptos and Hierakonpolis. The
famous ivory figure representing the ruler was discovered at Abydos.
From the Hat-Nub and Wadi-Hammat quarries are known graffiti dated to
the times of Khufu’s rule. There were exploited also copper and
turquoise mines at Synai (Wadi Maghara) and diorite mines near Abu
Simbel.

Tiny (3 inch) high ivory sculpture of Khufu found at
Abydos

Khufu's catouche from a builders' graffito found in the
relieve chamber over the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid (after
Lepsius).

nb.ti xpr mNebti Kheperem (The One Who Is Transformed Into The Two
Ladies)

(Golden Horus Name)

bikw nbw(w)
Bikw-Nebw (The Three Golden Falcons)

Abydos Table
(Nomen)

Dd f raDjedefre(Enduring Like Re)

(Nomen)

Son
of Khufu, brother of Khafre. According to G. Raisner he was Khufu’s son
by his Libyan wife. Djedefre was supposed to murder his own brother Kuaf
(Kewab) and rule 8 years until
dethroned. Graffitos in the eastern chamber with boat by Khufu’s pyramid
testify that Djedefre completed his father’s burial which argues with
the theory of usurping the rule. Very scant data preserved in annals
from Djedefre times give evidence that he built ships and temples. He
started building the mortuary complex and
pyramid at Abu Roash, however it could not be completed due to the
short period of his rule (8 years according to the Turin Canon). The
pyramid was supposed to be over 90 m high and 100 m long at its base.
Funerary chambers located presently 20 m under the ground level, were
constructed from huge blocks of Aswan granite. It is possible that the
king’s sarcophagus still remains under ruins which have never been
examined thoroughly.

Son
of Khufu by queen Henutsen (or another
queen of unknown name), might have been the same as Khufukhaf. Manetho
regards Khafre younger brother of Kheops. The Turin Canon gives 20 years
of rule (the data is to great extent damaged). Manetho gives 56 (or 66)
years. He was builder of the
Second
Pyramid at Giza and, probably, of Sphinx. A.
Mariette discovered in a mortuary temple two beautiful diorite statues
of the ruler. Extremely little is known about political activity of this
ruler. There are only few architectural monuments preserved to date
apart from the funerary complex at Giza. After Khafre’s death the rule
was held probably by regent, son of Djedefre – Baka, whereupon Mankaure
– son of Khafre ascended the throne.

Second Pyramid at Giza

Valley temple at Giza

a

Ba[w]fre

... ...

... ...

... ...

... ...

bAw.f ra

Some
scholars regard him the king and place between Khafre and Mankaure. In
the rock inscription of Wadi Hammat dated back to the Middle Kingdom Bawfre
is recorded as a king and successor of Khafre. Most likely he had never
ruled.

b

Djedefhor

... ...

... ...

... ...

... ...

... ...

Son
of Khufu by queen Meririt.
In W. Helck and N. Gimal’s opinion he was a ruler of
Egypt, however majority of scholars would not favor the hypothesis of
Djedefhor’s ruling alone. A rock inscription at Wadi Hammamat, dated
back to Middle Kingdom period mentions him and Bawfre
as Khafre’s successors. There is also opinion that he was father of
queen
Khenkawes
I, the mother of first pharaohs of dynasty V. Buried in mastaba at Giza.

The
eldest son of Djedefre, his name is disclosed by a statue of Abu Rawash
and graffito in a dug-out of the north
pyramid at Zawijet el-Aryan which possibly belonged to him. Main
problem is the correct reading of a cartouche name found within six ink
inscriptions. Whilst the lower (therefore second) hieroglyphic sign is
for sure a Ka-symbol, the early sign is illegible. Unfortunately the
excavator, Alessandro Barsanti, made no facsimiles, but slipshod
hand-drawings, so that the last sign remains indefinable. As a
consequence, there are several, alternative readings of the cartouche
name: Kurt Sethe reads Nebka (His Ka is the
Lord),
Jean-Philippe Lauer as Bik-Ka (His
Ka is Divine), Peter
Kaplony reads Schena-Ka (His Ka is
Forceful) and
Gaston Maspero reads Nefer-Ka (His Ka is
Beautiful).
Beckerath assumes that Baka
changed his name into Bakare (Soul and Ka of
Re) when he ascended the throne, but then he
died surprisingly, leaving an unfinished tomb shaft. Thus, Beckerath and
Reisner read the mysterious name at Zawyet el-Arjan
as Ba-Ka (His Ka is His
Soul).
Aidan Dodson
instead sees a sitting Seth-animal and therefore reads Seth-Ka (Seth
is Mine Ka).

Son
of Khafre by queen Khemerernebti I, brother and
husband of Khemerernrbti II. Turin Canon
assigns to him 18 (or 28) years of rule. Burial place – the
third
pyramid of Giza. Manetho presents Menkaure (Mencheres)
in much more positive light than his predecessors and gives him 63 years
of rule. Apart from magnificent pyramid-tomb at Giza we merely know
anything of this ruler. The Pyramid of Mykerinos
is much smaller than those preceding its building. It is 66m high, angle
of slope - 51o, length of sides at base – 102 x 105 m.
Sarcophagus had been robbed by R.W.
Vyse and sunk with a ship transporting it near coasts of Spain. Vast part
of mortuary complex (lower and upper mortuary temples and a ramp) was
completed by Shepseskaf, the son and successor of Menkaure. He was
worshipped after his death as confirmed in decrees issued by Shepseskaf,
Nemtiemsaf and Pepi II.

Pyramid of Menkaure at Giza

Slate triad representing king and queen
Khemerernebti II,
also like Hathor

Son
of Menkaure by unknown queen, probably Khemerernebty (2). Turin Canon
assigns to him a rule of 4 years while Manetho – 7 years. The king is
also mentioned in Palermo Stone. He completed the funerary complex of
Mankaure, the last ruler of the dynasty. He was probably father of
Djedefptah (Tamphtis by Manetho). Burial place –
mastaba in Southern
Sakkara.

Some
scholars believe he was the last ruler of this dynasty. Probably he was
a son of Shepseskaf. The Turin Canon assigns to him 2 years of rule,
however his name did not survive until now. Manetho, who gives him the
name of Tamphtis, probably the Greek form of the name Ptahdjedef or
Djedefptah, gives him 9 years of rule.